


Please Don't Break It

by melanie2612



Category: Twisted-Wonderland (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Childhood Friends, Grandfather OC, M/M, Mentions of Leona's family, Reunions, Sebek is there and he's loud
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:15:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23836000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melanie2612/pseuds/melanie2612
Summary: Second Prince Leona reunites with the beautiful boy he seemed to meet once upon a dream.
Relationships: Leona Kingscholar/Malleus Draconia
Comments: 11
Kudos: 141





	Please Don't Break It

Even since he was a child, the second prince had a knack for getting into trouble. From wandering places no royal should be, making friends with the rabble that gathered outside the kingdom, flagrantly ignoring any rules set out by his father, the king. Of course, Leona held both respect and resentment in his heart towards his family and the place being born second secured him. The bonus, the extra child that was needed only if by some cruel faith his beloved brother was snatched from the world. 

It was this mindset that led Leona to have a rather poor self preservation instinct. If he was lost, no subject would truly mourn him. Thus, the next time he was caught in the outlands, palling around with some hyena cubs, Leona stewed in anger as he was dragged back and berated by his father before the assembled pride. Locked up in his room, the little prince lay with a blanket pulled around himself. He lay alone like this for a while until he heard the door open and shut. 

Someone sat down next to him on the bed and slowly his dark sanctuary was moved. While his father and brother had warm sunset orange hair and bright eyes, Leona had unruly brown hair and sleepy green eyes. He shared these traits with his grandfather, who had come to join him on the bed. The old lion was more gray than brown at this point, but his sharp eyes mirrored Leona’s own. 

“Heard you got caught out beyond our borders, cub.” 

Leona huffed and rolled over, showing his back. A gentle hand ruffled his hair. 

“A young prince needs to be more aware of his place.” 

Peeking over his shoulder, Leona scowled. 

“I’m just a bonus, no one would really care if something happened to their back up.” 

“Oh, well I suppose I’m no one then.” 

“Grandpa…” 

Leona grumbled as he was pulled into his grandfather’s lap. 

“Every creature great and small serves a purpose in the grand scheme of the world.”

“You mean the circle of life?”

“Mmm. Exactly that. We all must walk a winding road. Not everything you want can become real, but you decide if your path is sunny or littered with thorns.” 

“But grandpa, I want to be king!” Leona crossed his little arms and pouted. 

“Ah, cub. You must let this obsession go.” His grandfather sighed and looked out the window into the vast savanna. The sunset was casting it’s sherbet hues across the flatland, reflecting off the water and making shadows of the trees. 

“Shall I tell you a story about when I was young?”

“Is it exciting?” 

Leona’s little tail swished back and forth. He loved hearing stories from his grandpa, who had been a rebel in youth, much in the same vein as Leona. 

“Of course! It’s about the time I saw the Dark King within The Valley of Thorns.” 

“You mean the one place no lion is allowed to go?”

“Especially a cub! But oh I didn’t listen to anything my father said. So I wandered alone all the way out to that dark place, heedless of the warnings spread far and wide across the Pridelands of the monsters that lurk within that dark and haunted forest.”

“Oh, please tell me the story grandpa!” Leona’s grumpy attitude evaporated as he cuddled in close for story time. 

“Well, it was a long time ago. I was a little older than you, and my parents were getting ready to welcome some foreign diplomats, so their attention was on anyone but me. I managed to slip past the guard and make my way across the savanna to the wall of roses that guards the entrance. Now, no full grown lion could slip between such vicious thorns, but a cub could maneuver around, and that is exactly what I did. I found myself in a dark and misty woods, surrounded by towers of menacing black stone and of course, more thorns. But, being the headstrong and foolish child I was, I ventured father instead of turning back. That is when I heard the trumpets and hoof beats approaching. That was the first sensible choice I made that day, hiding behind an obelisk as the procession got closer. Now, the monsters of that valley are terrifying and beautiful. They have horns longer than an ibex, that pierce the heavens and stir the stars. Their eyes glitter with ghost fire and their hands are cold as ice, ready to pull a soul from its body. But oh, their king is the worst of all. He wears a cloak made of silken shadow, and his hunting party scoops up bad little children and throws them in a pot for supper!” 

Leona squealed as he was scooped up into the air and bobbed up a down like a carrot being dunked into a cauldron. 

“So, I stayed silent and scared behind that huge stone shield as the whole party passed, dressed in darkness. Once the coast was clear, I hightailed it back to the safety of the sun without once looking back. I’ll never forget the color of the king's eyes, like someone lit a fire within an unearthly emerald stone.” 

Leona’s grandfather wore an expression of wistful longing. 

“No beauty ever compared.” He shook his head and settled Leona back down on the bed. 

“Now, cub, take heed to your father’s warning and stop wandering places that can harm you. The last thing you’d want would be for the Dark King to have you for dinner.” 

Leona giggled as his grandfather pretended to nibble on his head and ears. 

“Now, I believe it’s time for young prince’s to get some sleep.” 

“Aw, grandpa, one more story, please?”

“Tomorrow, I’ll tell you about how I once visited the faraway ocean lands, but only if you go to sleep now, alright cub?”

No argument could sway his grandfather, so Leona obeyed, curling up in his bed. When he was alone once again, Leona threw the covers off and scrambled up onto the window ledge, staring out at the last dregs of twilight that lit up the world. He could see, off in the distance, the darkest part of the kingdom, where the monsters dwell. If his grandfather’s story was truly meant to scare Leona, it had had the opposite effect on the little lion. Now, his only thought was occupied with seeing the place for himself. 

It was a little after midnight when Leona made his escape, slinking around, ducking into dark corners to avoid the guard patrol. It was easy getting where you wanted when people paid you little attention in the first place. The village surrounding the palace was peaceful at this time, only the most steadfast of night folk still working by lamplight. Leona moved swiftly, his eyes adjusting easily even when the only light allowed glowed from the moon above. It hardly seemed like he had traveled far at all, but suddenly he was upon the wall of roses. Thick, fragrant black blooms protected by razor sharp, wicked thorns.

Leona stood in awe before boldly beginning to scout the area for an opening wide enough to allow him to squeeze through. He found it after searching for a few minutes, a tunnel of sorts that must have been used by animals trekking back and forth. He was a little hesitant at the thought of meeting one alone in the dark, but the courage and bad judgement building up in his small body led him to belly flop onto the hard earth and begin a slow army crawl down along thorough, careful to avoid the piercing needles intersecting above him. Somewhere in the darkness, a night bird cried out and was answered. Once or twice, Leona could see eyes watching him, but they disappeared before he could make out any other features. The tunnel led him into a clearing set against a clear pool that reflected the full moon above.  
It was beautiful, the farthest thing from the eerie picture his grandfather had painted of the place. There were a few weeping willow trees that draped their branches down into the water, making a dark curtain hiding away mysteries. 

He lay there cautiously, ready to backpedal as quickly as possible, but nothing moved to attack him, the black rose bushes that surrounded him swaying only to the night breeze. He made his way to the pond, staring at it’s perfect clear reflection of his small face. Leona let out a breath he hadn’t been aware of holding and sat down. Such a serene place did not belong within the most feared corner of his world. 

However, the woods that loomed just beyond looked to hold all sorts of terrors. Leona could imagine all sorts of beasts reaching their claws and teeth out to devour him. So he gave them a wide berth, not because he was scared, but because it was the sensible thing to do. When one of the shadows among them began to move out from it’s confines, becoming a solid form as it drew closer, Leona froze in fear. For the first time of the night, he wished perhaps his grandfather had chosen a different story for bedtime. Leona sat very still as the shade reached the other side of the pond. He watched as two small, pale hands appeared and pulled, what he realized was a hood, off from a person who was only a little bigger than him. 

The other boy had two small horns growing out of the top of his head. His hair fell in an ebony waterfall around his delicate, pale face, and when he raised his eyes up to find Leona staring at him, they were green and vivid as sea glass. He was so beautiful and strange that Leona found himself unable to breathe again. 

Malleus had met all manner of creatures at this pool over the years. Sometimes birds, sometimes beasts, but never another little boy. This one was somewhat of a beast in his own right, with little rounded ears perched on his head and a stiff little tail standing straight as a cornstalk. The crown prince of The Valley of Thorns had few friends back at the grand mountain castle hidden by mist, and those he could call close always kept their distance by calling him things like “young master” and “our beloved future king”. So Malleus had taken to sneaking off by himself to find his own peaceful place. It was amazing how alone one could feel, even surrounded by people. Malleus was, admittedly, not good at dealing with strangers, but the boy across the pond had not fled at the sight of him, he was still sitting dazed in the same spot. 

Slowly, Malleus moved to sit as well, keeping the boy in his sight. The two sat staring at each other until the little beast boy suddenly stood up, seeming to become determined by some unseen force. He hustled around the perimeter of the pond until he stood only a few feet away from Malleus, curious but wary. 

Leona felt as though he had been pulled there by an invisible rope. He was drawn by an aura of power that enticed him, luring as a siren does. The little horned boy made no move to approach him, nor did he seem concerned that Leona had gotten closer. He simply watched with the same sparkling green eyes, fire in an emerald. 

“Hello.” the horned boy said at last, smiling to show tiny fangs. 

Leona opened his mouth to show his own fangs, “Hi!” he did not, however, get any closer.

This didn’t seem to bother the other boy, who continued to smile. 

“My name is Malleus, what’s yours?”

“Leona.”

“Hmm. Do you know any fun games?” 

“Games? I don’t think so. Two people can’t really play any fun games.” 

Malleus looked a little saddened at that. “Oh. I thought maybe I had found someone who I could finally play with.” 

It felt as though a thorn had pushed its way into Leona’s heart, the way those little lips turned downward. It was a feeling unlike any Leona had felt before. He didn’t like it, and wanted that phantom pain to leave as soon as possible. The best solution, he came up with at last, would have to be to make Malleus smile again. He cleared the space between them in an instant, holding out his hand to pull Malleus up. 

“That’s why we’ll just have to make up our own games then!” 

Malleus took the offered hand and was pulled up and dragged behind Leona as the two began to make their plans. Even the small clearing became a huge wonderland when matched with the imagination of two youths. Malleus laughed louder than he’d ever thought possible, squealing in delight as Leona chased him, a dragon trying to catch a princess. Then they climbed one of the trees that stretched out over the pond, hidden in the grotto of its branches. Malleus told Leona about his family, his strict grandmother, scary father, silly uncle and his lovable magical tutor. 

Leona complained about his perfect brother and noble father, the expectations of being a prince that weighed so heavily on tiny shoulders. Malleus could mirror this sentiment, he too had far more expected of him that one so young could fathom. They played and talked until sunrise, and Leona realized with some fear that he’d be caught outside of the palace, and with much reluctance, bid his new friend goodbye. He knew if anyone in the palace found out where he’d been, any freedom allowed to him was just as good as gone. 

“Will I ever see you again?” Malleus had asked, his voice tinged with sadness. 

“Yes! I’ll meet you here next full moon, so the light can guide me back to you!” 

“It’s a promise!” the two had sworn on it. Leona reached the other side of the wall of roses just as safely as he’d entered. He was so giddy with excitement and joy that he did not notice as the thicket closed the tunnel, sealing off his entrance. Leona had no idea that he may have to break the promise he’d made so much sooner than he thought.

As expected,he was in a lot of trouble, but he did not share the secret of a new friend he’d met on his moonlit escapade. He took his punishment, confined to his room, a smile on his face when he thought of the next time he’d be able to carouse around with Malleus. Perhaps he’d bring along toys and snacks, and the two could have a picnic. 

This became a much harder ordeal when Leona began to realize his father had established a much heavier guard on him. He couldn’t even wander into the village without at least one escort. It seemed the king had lost patience with his wayward second son and was now doing his damnedest to keep Leona chained. It was at least two months before he found a crack in the foundation of rotations the guards kept. By the time he had fled across the previous route to his tunnel, the sun was almost up once more. It was a fruitless search, however, and the little secret path he had used seemed to have vanished into thin air. He didn’t cry, but when the guards found him trudging back into town, they all agreed the little second prince looked more dejected than anyone had ever seen. 

He didn’t even fuss when his father berated him and sent him back to his room under even more surveillance. Leona, finally all alone, cried for the loss of a friend he had wanted to see again more than anything, a longing and ache that he wondered, if somehow his grandfather had also felt, leaving behind the visage of an unearthly beauty. A thorn in his heart that dug deeper each passing day.

It would be more than a decade later, at his nephew’s birth celebration, that Leona was finally reunited with his childhood first love. Of course, over the years, Leona had never admitted to himself that this was the case. Malleus was, to him, perhaps someone he had dreamed up, a vision so perfect for him that no waking beauty could satisfy Leona. His father, exasperated with his younger son’s lack of desire to at least settle down, had been doing his utmost as of late to introduce Leona to all the eligible royals, of both sexes, with hopes that Leona would find at least one satisfactory. The results thus far were painfully lackluster, and in desperation, the former king seemed to be making one last ditch effort to have Leona get hitched by turning the birth of his first grandson into a combination matchmaking party. By the time Leona had escaped his fifth assault by foreign princess, he was about ready to bite off someone’s head. 

In the years since his youth, Leona had grown into quite the handsome price. He was almost never seen in such formal wear, with a small crown on his head and some manner of shoe on his feet, but the disgruntled second prince was a washed and polished vision on this night, his flyaway mane tamed behind him in a rather strained braid.  
His brother caught his eye and tried to motion Leona to join the royals in mingling, but Leona pretended he hadn’t noticed and pushed deeper into the crowd. 

Parties of such magnitude always left Leona in a bad mood, he hated dancing and small talk was like pulling teeth, painfully tedious. He escaped to one of the balconies overlooking the kingdom now ruled by his brother. He crossed his arms and leaned out onto the stone terrace, breathing in the scent of grass and future rain. His home, but it never really felt welcoming, like he belonged to somewhere far away. Leona didn’t notice he wasn’t alone in his musings until a shadow moved out of the corner of his eye. 

There was another man on the balcony, tall and slender, dressed all in black. An intricate crown of silver filigree draped elegantly between twin horns, raven’s feather ebony hair, sparkling eyes lined with dark makeup. He was so unreal Leona wondered for a moment if he was hallucinating. 

Then the man spoke. 

“Do I know you?” the stranger asked, taking one step closer. 

Leona was by no means a small man, but this other fellow made him look up, meeting eyes nearly as green as his own. 

Leona opened his mouth to answer, but a booming voice cried out “Here you are, young master!” as a green haired interloper joined them on the balcony. The horned man turned his attention from Leona to the unwanted guest. 

“Sorry, were you looking for me, Sebek?”

“Yes! It is time for you to present your gift to the little prince!” this Sebek was terribly loud, he made Leona’s ears hurt. 

The vision of beauty sighed, allowing himself to be ushered inside by Sebek, but he glanced over his shoulder, smiling at Leona, revealing perfect, shiny white fangs. 

“I’ll find you again soon, It’s a promise.” 

Leona stood rooted like a tree, suddenly spurred into action by those last words, abandoning any sense of decorum, pushing past scowling people in pursuit of a smile he’d agonized about in dreams both profane and pure. 

Malleus. 

“His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of The Valley of Thorns, Malleus Draconia, presenting his gift to the future king of the Pridelands.” 

Malleus had brought for the little lion prince a small wooden bird that could fly around the room and sing. He presented it to the wide eyed baby prince, who promptly stuffed it into his mouth, which elected much laughter from the gathered crowd. Even the usually stone faced future Dark King quirked a little smile at the antics of children. Oh well, if he liked the gift, that was all that mattered. Malleus was only halfway back down the stairs to join Sebek when a flash of brown gripped his arm and pulled him behind one of the draped curtains. 

“We have met before!” Leona declared, pressing the taller man up against the wall. 

Malleus raised his eyebrows, “Oh? I can’t say I recall.” He tried to seem genuinely confused, but Leona could see he was very much trying not to smile.

“In the clearing with the pond! We ran around carefree as birds, playing games and telling each other our troubles!” 

Malleus did his best to loom, leaning over Leona as menacing as can be. 

“Once upon a time, I made a friend in the woods. We made a promise, on the next full moon we’d be together again. But he never came back. I’ve waited so many moonlit nights to see that boy again. What makes you think I’d be happy to have that same promise breaker stand before me once again?”

Leona didn’t budge, stretching up to meet Malleus head on. 

“That promise breaker tried over and over to find another way back into that place. He fought and searched and even managed a scar or two, but he never found another way. He’s agonized and ached all these years hoping his path would lead back around to his one first and only love!” 

Such words should not have been spoken so angrily, with such fervor, but here was Leona spitting them with ease, any tact or embarrassment lost in the mix of emotions he was currently feeling. Here was the dream he’d longed for, staring down at him with a bright feverish urgency. 

“Ah.” Leona was suddenly pulled into an embrace so strong he felt something pop. Malleus was pressing his face into Leona’s neck, his soft sweet smelling hair in Leona’s nose. 

“Such a way with words, my dear Leona.” his voice had a lilt of laughter to it. It was the same beloved sound Leona had heard all those years ago, staying up until sunrise, telling stories and falling in love, but without a word to put on it back then. 

“If this is a dream, I’d rather never wake.” Leona pulled back to look Malleus right in his unfairly beautiful face. His first kiss with the future Dark King was short and sweet. The two followed with many more, faster and more urgent. They were startled out of the unspoken language shared together by Sebek shouting out Malleus’s name somewhere nearby. 

Malleus kept Leona in his arms, both trying to catch their breath. The lion allowed himself to be held, pressing his face into the side of Malleus’s neck, breathing in the ever present scent of roses that seemed stuck to the tall man’s skin. 

“Perhaps, we would be better suited to continue this when the party's over, and we have less chance of being interrupted.” 

Leona wanted to do nothing more than drag Malleus back upstairs to his room and make up for lost time as much as possible, in any way Malleus deemed fit. Instead, he agreed without much honest effort, moving as slowly as possible to remove himself from the other’s hold. Malleus laughed, and the thorn that had long ago pricked Leona, leaving an un-healing hole in his heart, seemed to disappear, filled instead with a feeling he could now name with four letters.

**Author's Note:**

> Even though now I have more lore for Leona and Malleus as the rivals trope I still just want to write about them being soft and in love and who knows maybe I'll write something that actually captures them being snarky with one another but until then...royalty au
> 
> I am still trapped in twisty land and you can find me on twit @owari_no_homo


End file.
